Overview
A short lesson to help children understand what rules are and why we need them.
Learning activities:
Imagining the perfect classroom
Helpful or not? Children are asked to explore a number of rules to see if they think they are helpful or not.
What makes a great classmate?
Deciding on the rules for your classroom and turning these into a poster
More Lessons resources
Employment Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
During this lesson students explore the law that applies to young workers and what they can do if they believe their legal rights at work are not being upheld. To…
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial…
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more sustainable society. Students examine the difference between linear and circular economies…
More Community resources
Taking Responsibility
This lesson is based around the clever traditional poem about four children named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. It introduces children to the idea of taking responsibility in the context…
Brexit: Part 1 – Referendum
Pupils will be given a brief introduction to the European Union. They will learn about why people’s opinions about the EU are divided and the results of the EU referendum.…
Citizenship: a privilege or a right?
Students research what the law says about the rights of individuals to become UK citizens and critically examine whether there are any circumstances where it is legally or ethically appropriate…
More Relationships resources
The Power of Giving
In this lesson pupils will read a tale from Japanese folklore which tells of how one small act of generosity leads to big gains. They will think about whether generous…
I Am Unique
This lesson focuses on celebrating diversity and respecting differences. During the lesson pupils will gain an understanding of what it means to be unique through participating in a range of…
Controversial issues: guidance for schools
Children are alert to information and images they see in the media. These may graphically influence their view of the world, and not always positively. Graphic images on TV and…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
All at Sea: a story about fairness and the rule of law
During this lesson pupils use the story ‘All at Sea’ to explore how a group of citizens should organise a new society under a challenging set of circumstances. Each chapter…
Crime and its Impact (SmartLaw Subscription)
Students explore the impact of crime on those surrounding the victim and the perpetrator and consider the financial, physical and emotional ripples that crime can have on a community. Please…
The Big Legal Lesson (ages 11-18+)
Join the UK’s biggest legal education campaign during February 2026. To access this content, register for our Secondary School Subscription.
More KS1 (ages 5-7) resources
We Treat Others with Respect (poster)
We treat others as we would like to be treated. We value listening to and learning from each other. To access this content, register for our Primary School Subscription.
Healthy Eating
In this lesson pupils will learn about the importance of eating the right amounts of different food groups as part of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils will have the opportunity to…